The use of customer relationship software (CRM) is bringing great changes in the corporate world.

Every brand is struggling to gain maximum benefits with its smart use. However, many newly developed companies are unaware of the core functions and outcomes of a CRM. Therefore, a deeper understanding is imperative for leveraging CRM and increasing productivity. Before we move further, let us see the basic purpose of a CRM: 

What is a CRM?

Apart from other fundamental advancements of the business landscape, CRM is the most commendable one. This customer relationship management software is a smart tool for managing potential as well as current customers. Be it a marketing team or a sales department; every unit reaps its great benefits. Furthermore, it plays a vital role in shaping future marketing strategies. 

An auto CRM has made things even easier. Yes, it automatically stores the information as soon as the company acquires a new lead. Thus, the systematic channel helps in knowing the former trends and recent changes in consumer behavior. But, there is a lot more that we can get from this software. Many successful brands have boosted productivity just with the smart use of a CRM. 

Let us see how we can use it in the best possible manner and increase productivity: 

1. Change Your Sales Protocol 

As mentioned above, the auto CRM automatically updates your database. But this is only possible for the online interactions with your brand. For instance, a CRM will add a prospect if someone downloads something from your site. Now, there is a lacking of offline interactions. Interactions through trade shows, meetings, conferences, and exhibitions also mean a lot to a brand. 

The sales team should include a rule of manually adding offline interactions into the database. By avoiding these interactions, companies lose a lot of potential clients. 

Tip: Always schedule 10 minutes in your calendar for manual recording after your sales meeting. In this way, you will never forget to record the keynotes about offline prospects.  

2. Increase Efficiency through Regular Use of CRM 

If you become habitual of using CRM, you will start reaping its benefits in no time. CRM is not something that is used occasionally. Instead, make it your everyday tool. For instance, if you use a CRM, you will get to know where your prospects are standing in the buying journey. This will help you make the right move to increase customer satisfaction and convert customers. 

Whether you are an online retailer or a service provider, a CRM will help you design a better sales process. Online education services, eCommerce sites, hospitals, and hospitality businesses; all use CRM to nurture and manage their leads for higher conversion. 

Today, prospects have all the power to do online research, but they are more than happy if you do all the legwork for them.  It means finding out the gaps and presenting their solutions at a rapid rate. This will automatically speed up the buying process and increase productivity. 

Additionally, companies can increase efficiency in the following ways: 

• Using chatbots 
• Using automated emails and messages 
• Integrating AI with CRM

3. Smooth Collaboration via CRM 

Another great way of leveraging CRM is by bringing collaboration among multiple departments. For instance, if a sales representative is planning to have a meeting with a prospect, getting knowledge about all previous interactions is essential. Since the former salesperson has recorded all information, all other departments can use it for future planning. 

Additionally, it will help in preparing for the meeting and showcasing the brand in a better way. Since the prospect has already interacted with the brand, success in this meeting is likely to make a conversion. Therefore, prime importance should be given to all former records, and data saved by one department should be used by every other department. 

4. Satisfactory Customer Experience 

Once the prospect is finally converted into a customer, the process of customer service begins. Here comes the role of all those team members who will serve this new customer. The customer service team and project managers play a key role. If they use CRM for getting informed about the former interactions and conversations, they will better understand the customer psychology. 

Additionally, they will get an idea of immediate customer needs. For instance, if it is a technical product and the customer service team knows that the customer has zero technical knowledge about the product, they can address it with very basic knowledge. 

On the other hand, they cannot use the basic terminology for a well-informed customer. In this case, they will use technical words that can leave a great impact on a new customer. 

5. Use Visual Data 

Make the most of the dashboard for extracting information. This graphical representation of data saves time, requires less effort, and speeds up the decision-making process. For instance, if the marketing head wants to inquire about the email metrics, the dashboard can help to know how many people received a particular email. 

Similarly, a dashboard can also tell about the total number of the call or the calls with a positive response. Thus, all these benefits of visual data help managers focus on their core duties and plan strategically. 

6. Personalized Outreach 

CRM also enables you to increase the personalized outreach. Thankfully, this software helps you group the customers according to interests, needs, or any other specific criteria. For instance, if you have a real estate business, you can use the CRM for real estate to segment customers according to the type of property they viewed. This will help you in sending targeted messages to all customers with a single group. 

Similarly, travel agencies can target customers according to the cities and countries they viewed online. A targeted email will have a lasting impact in comparison to a generic email sent to every customer. 

Leverage the CRM for Boosting Productivity 

After going through the above points, you must have got a great idea about leveraging your CRM. From enhancing customer service and increasing personalized outreach to reporting and sales forecasting, there is a lot you can do with this software. 

Since competition is increasing, companies need to make the best use of CRM. Lastly, be sure to use an appropriate CRM platform as per your industry. Efficient use with all core functionalities will provide great outcomes in no time.

Different marketing campaigns have different goals to achieve. What’s common among all of them is that they are aimed to let the word out about your business and increase the revenues.

Where does a local business directory fit into the context? Here is what you need to know.

If you run a small business, it is basic knowledge that local clientele is going to give you the most profits. Whether you run a coffee shop or an apparel store, your local customers should find it easy to reach you. 

There was a time when the Yellow Pages directory was used to find basic information about local businesses but things have changed now. This is the era of the internet thus the directories have also been shifted to online business directories. Users can instantly identify the business directory that can cater to their needs.

If you are like most small business owners, you have heard about the web directories but are not fully aware of what they can bring to the table. Should they be a part of your next digital marketing campaign? Don’t wait any longer and start listing your business in the most well-reputed business directory instantly in order to get the following benefits.

Free/Inexpensive Advertisement

Marketing isn’t cheap. Even the most basic campaigns take a huge chunk of money but thanks to the internet there are several ways to cheaply advertise your business. Business directories are credible and most effective sources when it comes to free or inexpensive marketing. 

For most web directories, adding your business listing is free of cost. You can enjoy additional features of most of these directories at very low costs. Once you have added the business details such as name, address, and phone numbers, anyone searching for businesses like yours, will see your ad. The most interesting aspect of this cheap advertisement is that it is going to stay up for years and years.

Strengthen Your Online Presence

Whether you have an online storefront for your business or not, you must have a strong online presence. As the majority of the users check the online presence and reputation of a business before making any purchases, building up the online presence is critical to your success. 

One simple way is to start adding your business to the top business directories. Maintaining the listings in the top few gives you access to several other websites. When you search for your company name, you will see your business name appearing on web directories you never even visited. That’s because many listings pull data from larger directories and hence you get the benefit of an amplified online presence.

Amplify Your Visibility to Local Community

Claiming your business on major business directories is beneficial because it improves your visibility in the local community. Most of your customers belong to local communities and once they know what you are offering, they will keep coming back to you. 

Users can see your business if it is situated near their locality even if they never searched you by name. If you have added the perfect business description and accurate business details, local customers will find it easier to connect to you. 

You can reap the maximum benefits by adding a listing to huge directories that use advanced filtering and suggestion techniques to present business names according to their location.

Get Discovered and Hired More Frequently

Well, isn’t that the dream of every business person? You want to be discovered at the right time of customer journey and hired more frequently than any of your competitors. The top local business directory will help you with that. 

Let’s say you have opened a cake shop recently. You didn’t put the expensive flyers but added listings in the best directories including Google My Business. Now when a user will search for cake shops near me, the results will also include your business listings. 

If you are the nearest cake shop, your name will appear at the top of the results. So, a quality listing allows you to get discovered and hired more frequently. And all of that sums up to be bigger and faster profits.

Leverage Your Reputation with Word of Mouth

Word of mouth has been the more reliable source for businesses and users for ages. Business owners do their best to win over customers by encouraging their present clients to pass the word on. Thanks to the internet, the means have increased manifold. 

Online web directories can help you leverage your business reputation by providing a review section. Most of the reliable and well-reputed directories have review sections that allow customers to leave honest and unbiased reviews. All of the positive reviews act as the word of mouth. The ongoing pandemic has limited the opportunities for direct contact so these comprehensive platforms have emerged to be even more important today.  

Improve The Credibility of Your Business

Modern businesses rely on their credibility and online reviews are pretty helpful in that. Positive reviews are great and every business needs more of them at any given time. If you have been fearing the negative reviews and the criticism, put your worries aside because here is another opportunity for you. 

The negative reviews can be handled well by responding to them and resolving the issues. Moreover, customers consider the businesses more reliable when they get mixed reviews instead of all-so-good comments. If you want to be known as a legit company, a business directory can surely help.

Get Ranked on Google and Other Search Engines

When it comes to Google rankings, a business directory is no longer as important as it once used to be. The algorithms used by Google and all major search engines are evolving at a fast pace. Now the quality of inbound links is far more important than their number. 

Still, you can use the tool of the local business directory to boost your SEO efforts. And that’s by setting up a listing on credible directories. When the information is transferred across other directories it gives you even more quality links. You must check and update your business listing so that all of your credentials are accurate across the internet. 

Here is a catch. If Google finds your business listed on a business directory with poor domain authority, it can harm your SEO.

Enjoy Better Brand Awareness  

Building your brand among the locals and then national and international users takes years at best. Kick-off your way to success with the best local directories. The users will see your business even when they are not hiring you for the first time. Over time, they get familiar with the name and that’s what brand awareness is all about. You will start to see steady yet consistent results over a matter of few weeks.

Different marketing campaigns have different goals to achieve. What’s common among all of them is that they are aimed to let the word out about your business and increase the revenues. Where does a local business directory fit into the context? Here is what you need to know.

If you run a small business, it is basic knowledge that local clientele is going to give you the most profits. Whether you run a coffee shop or an apparel store, your local customers should find it easy to reach you. 

There was a time when the Yellow Pages directory was used to find basic information about local businesses but things have changed now. This is the era of the internet thus the directories have also been shifted to online business directories. Users can instantly identify the business directory that can cater to their needs.

If you are like most small business owners, you have heard about the web directories but are not fully aware of what they can bring to the table. Should they be a part of your next digital marketing campaign? Don’t wait any longer and start listing your business in the most well-reputed business directory instantly in order to get the following benefits.

Free/Inexpensive Advertisement

Marketing isn’t cheap. Even the most basic campaigns take a huge chunk of money but thanks to the internet there are several ways to cheaply advertise your business. Business directories are credible and most effective sources when it comes to free or inexpensive marketing. 

For most web directories, adding your business listing is free of cost. You can enjoy additional features of most of these directories at very low costs. Once you have added the business details such as name, address, and phone numbers, anyone searching for businesses like yours, will see your ad. The most interesting aspect of this cheap advertisement is that it is going to stay up for years and years.

Strengthen Your Online Presence

Whether you have an online storefront for your business or not, you must have a strong online presence. As the majority of the users check the online presence and reputation of a business before making any purchases, building up the online presence is critical to your success. 

One simple way is to start adding your business to the top business directories. Maintaining the listings in the top few gives you access to several other websites. When you search for your company name, you will see your business name appearing on web directories you never even visited. That’s because many listings pull data from larger directories and hence you get the benefit of an amplified online presence.

Amplify Your Visibility to Local Community

Claiming your business on major business directories is beneficial because it improves your visibility in the local community. Most of your customers belong to local communities and once they know what you are offering, they will keep coming back to you. 

Users can see your business if it is situated near their locality even if they never searched you by name. If you have added the perfect business description and accurate business details, local customers will find it easier to connect to you. 

You can reap the maximum benefits by adding a listing to huge directories that use advanced filtering and suggestion techniques to present business names according to their location.

Get Discovered and Hired More Frequently

Well, isn’t that the dream of every business person? You want to be discovered at the right time of customer journey and hired more frequently than any of your competitors. The top local business directory will help you with that. 

Let’s say you have opened a cake shop recently. You didn’t put the expensive flyers but added listings in the best directories including Google My Business. Now when a user will search for cake shops near me, the results will also include your business listings. 

If you are the nearest cake shop, your name will appear at the top of the results. So, a quality listing allows you to get discovered and hired more frequently. And all of that sums up to be bigger and faster profits.

Leverage Your Reputation with Word of Mouth

Word of mouth has been the more reliable source for businesses and users for ages. Business owners do their best to win over customers by encouraging their present clients to pass the word on. Thanks to the internet, the means have increased manifold. 

Online web directories can help you leverage your business reputation by providing a review section. Most of the reliable and well-reputed directories have review sections that allow customers to leave honest and unbiased reviews. All of the positive reviews act as the word of mouth. The ongoing pandemic has limited the opportunities for direct contact so these comprehensive platforms have emerged to be even more important today.  

Improve The Credibility of Your Business

Modern businesses rely on their credibility and online reviews are pretty helpful in that. Positive reviews are great and every business needs more of them at any given time. If you have been fearing the negative reviews and the criticism, put your worries aside because here is another opportunity for you. 

The negative reviews can be handled well by responding to them and resolving the issues. Moreover, customers consider the businesses more reliable when they get mixed reviews instead of all-so-good comments. If you want to be known as a legit company, a business directory can surely help.

Get Ranked on Google and Other Search Engines

When it comes to Google rankings, a business directory is no longer as important as it once used to be. The algorithms used by Google and all major search engines are evolving at a fast pace. Now the quality of inbound links is far more important than their number. 

Still, you can use the tool of the local business directory to boost your SEO efforts. And that’s by setting up a listing on credible directories. When the information is transferred across other directories it gives you even more quality links. You must check and update your business listing so that all of your credentials are accurate across the internet. 

Here is a catch. If Google finds your business listed on a business directory with poor domain authority, it can harm your SEO.

Enjoy Better Brand Awareness  

Building your brand among the locals and then national and international users takes years at best. Kick-off your way to success with the best local directories. The users will see your business even when they are not hiring you for the first time. Over time, they get familiar with the name and that’s what brand awareness is all about. You will start to see steady yet consistent results over a matter of few weeks.

There is a working draft spec for CSS scoping now, a newsworthy event for the W3C. Other than a weird period where shipped and then was subsequently removed from the spec (and browsers), this is the furthest a scoping proposal has gotten (the Level 1 spec never got anywhere).

This one comes from Miriam Suzanne.

The basics:

<div class="media">
  <img alt="Proper alt." src="...">
  <div class="content">
    <p>...</p>
  </div>
</div>

If I’m thinking of this bit of HTML as a “component”, it’s nice to be able to write styles for it that are very explicitly just for it. That’s what @scope is for, so…

@scope (.media) {
  :scope {
    display: grid;
    grid-template-columns: 50px 1fr;
  }
  img {
    filter: grayscale(100%);
    border-radius: 50%;
  }
  .content { ... }
}

What I like about that is:

1. This bit of CSS is very explicitly for this media component. It reads like that and can be maintained like that.
2. I didn’t have to come up with a name and class for the . I’m applying styling there without it “leaking out” to other images.

But wait, isn’t this just like prepending selectors with the parent class?

It kind of is… like we could also write:

.media {
}
.media img {
}
.media content {
}

And now we’ve scoped things internal to the media component. That’s rather repetitive, but with native CSS nesting on the way, it’s just this:

.media {
  img {
  }
  .content {
  }
}

So yes, I’d say nesting takes care of some basic types of scoping, but there are some things that are very unique to this new scope proposal.

One unique feature is “donut scope”, meaning I stop the scoping where I want to. Maybe I want my scoping to stop at a particular class:

@scope (.media) to (.content) {
  p { }
}

Now I can write styles that won’t mess with areas that I don’t want them to mess with, perhaps:

<div class="media">
  <img alt="Proper alt." src="...">
  <p>This is stylable in scope.</p>
  <div class="content">
    <p>This is NOT styleable in scope.</p>
  </div>
</div>

But that’s not the only unique problem this new spec solves. I think the “nearest ancestor” situation that Miriam lays out is perhaps the most interesting thing. I’ll send you over to the blog post to read about that — it’s pretty wild that we don’t have a good tool for that yet.

There is a lot to wrap your mind around here, especially as you think of more complex situations like multiple overlapping scopes and how the nesting syntax might interplay with scoping. Fortunately, Miriam is blogging these things very clearly.

---

The post Early Days for CSS Scoping appeared first on CSS-Tricks. You can support CSS-Tricks by being an MVP Supporter.

Since school is back in session, this month’s roundup has a learning focus. In addition to tools, many of the resources include guides, tutorials, and cheat sheets to help make design work easier.

Here’s what’s new for designers this month.

ScrollingMockup.io

ScrollingMockup.io generates high-definition, animated scrolling mockups in minutes. All you have to do is paste your website URL, select from the expanding template gallery, add some music and post. You can create three mockups for free, and then this tool comes with a subscription model. The paid model allows for custom branding for mockups and more.

FilterSS

FilterSS is a curated collection of CSS image filters for use in projects. Upload an image, sort through the list, and then copy the code for the filter you want to use. It’s that easy!

Buttons Generator

Buttons Generator is a fun tool with so many button options in one place. Choose from three-dimensional, gradient, shadow borders, neumorphic, retro, animated, ghost, with arrows, and more all in one place. Click the one you like, and the code is copied right to your clipboard and ready to use in projects.

UI Cheat Sheet: Spacing Friendships

UI Cheat Sheet: Spacing Friendships is a fun – and memorable approach to figuring out spacing. This guide shows how close or far away elements should be based on “friend” circles with a couple of relatable instances. It’s one of the most relatable examples of this concept out there while emphasizing the importance of spacing in design.

PrettyMaps

PrettyMaps is a minimal Python library that allows you to draw customized maps from OpenStreetMap data. This tool can help you take online map design to the next level with cool, unique map visuals. It’s based on osmnx, matplotlib, shapely, and vsketch libraries.

Card.UX/UI

Card.UX/UI is a card-style generator with more than 20 templates and elements to create custom cards. Use the on-screen tools to design it the way you want and then copy the code for easy use.

Couleur.io

Couleur.io is a simple color palette builder tool that lets you pick a starting color and build a scheme around it. One of the best elements of the tool might be the quick preview, which shows your choices using the palette in context and in dark mode. Get it looking the way you want, and then snag the CSS to use in your projects.

CSS Accent-Color

CSS Accent-Color can help you tint elements with one line of CSS. It’s a time-saving trick that allows for greater customization for your brand in website design projects. Plus, it works equally well in dark or light color schemes. It supports checkboxes, radio, range, and progress bars.

Vytal

Vytal shows what traces your browser leaves behind while surfing the web. This scan lets you understand how easy it is to identify and track your browser even while using private mode. In addition, it scans for digital fingerprints, connections, and system info.

Imba

Imba is a programming language for the web that’s made to be fast. It’s packed with time-saving syntax tags and a memorized DOM. Everything compiles to JavaScript, works with Node and npm, and has amazing performance. While the language is still in active development, the community around it is pretty active and growing.

SVG Shape Dividers Creator

SVG Shape Dividers Creator is a tool that allows you to create interesting shapes with SVG so that your colors and backgrounds aren’t always rectangles. You can adjust and side, change the color, axis, and flip or animate it. Then snag the CSS, and you are ready to go.

Image Cropper

Image Cropper is a tool that allows you to crop and rotate images using the flutter plugin. It works for Android and IOS.

Noteli

Noteli is a CLI-based notes application that uses TypeScript, MongoDB, and Auth0. The tool is just out of beta.

Yofte

Yofte is a set of components for Tailwind CSS that help you create great e-commerce stores. The UI Kit is packed with components with clean and colorful designs that are customizable. The code is easy to export and clean. This premium kit comes with a lifetime license or a monthly plan.

UI Deck

UI Deck is a collection of free and premium landing page templates, themes, and UI kits for various projects. This is a premium resource with paid access to all of the tools. It includes access to more than 80 templates.

Star Rating: An SVG Solution

Star Rating: An SVG Solution is a tutorial that solves a common design dilemma: How to create great star rating icons for pages. This code takes you through creating an imageless element that’s resizable, accessible, includes partial stars, and is easy to maintain with CSS. It’s a great solution to a common design need.

Designing Accessible WCAG-Compliant Focus Indicators

Designing Accessible WCAG-Compliant Focus Indicators is another convenient guide/tutorial for an everyday application. Here’s why it is important: “By designing and implementing accessible focus indicators, we can make our products accessible to keyboard users, as well as users of assistive technology that works through a keyboard or emulates keyboard functionality, such as voice control, switch controls, mouth sticks, and head wands, to mention a few.”

Blockchain Grants

Blockchain Grants is a tool for anyone developing blockchain applications and in need of funding. It’s a database of grants from a variety of organizations for different applications. Start looking through this free resource to help secure additional funding for your projects.

Basement Grotesque

Basement Grotesque is a beautiful slab with a great heavy weight and plenty of character. There are 413 characters in the set with plenty of accents, numbers, and variable capitals.

Gadimon

Gadimon is a fun, almost comic book-style layered script. The font package includes a regular and extrude style.

Lagom

Lagom is a sleek and functional serif typeface with 16 styles in the robust family from ultralight to extra bold italic. It’s readable and has a lot of personality.

Striped Campus

Striped Campus fits our back-to-school theme with a fun, scholastic look and feel. The block letters have a thick outline stroke and some fun inline texture.

Source

The post Exciting New Tools for Designers, September 2021 first appeared on Webdesigner Depot.

User experience (UX) research is drawing the attention of many companies and accurate UX research methods are questioned. Before we start to explain how to conduct UX research, we need to simply ask this question: What is user experience (UX) research? 

Hint: It is more than just finding some good research interview questions.

USER EXPERIENCE (UX) RESEARCH 

UX research is a systematic investigation of target users and their needs in order to provide genuine insights to design processes. To find challenges and design opportunities, UX researchers use a variety of methodologies. 

THE DIFFERENCE IN UX RESEARCH

User experience (UX) research can be divided into two parts: quantitive and qualitative.

Quantitive research: It is basically any type of UX research that can be quantified. It’s useful for deducing statistical probabilities and determining what’s going on with a service or a product.

Qualitative research: Another part of UX research provides solutions to queries. Interviews or discussions are often used. Qualitative research of UX aids in the understanding of why individuals act the way they do.

TOP 9 METHODS FOR A GREAT UX RESEARCH

1. Card Sorting: Ask users to organize information into a logical structure and try to create a dendrogram (category tree).

2. Use Cases: Document the possible interactions between users and the system with use cases. Keep in mind that it is good to create different scenarios with alternative paths and various users. 

3. Contextual Inquiry: Observe users in the relevant context which provides deep insight into how users behave.

4. User Testing: Ask a user to perform tasks and observe their behaviors. It is important to understand usability issues and user concerns.

5. Task Analysis: Observe the steps and approaches of users to complete a given task. Try to understand what users genuinely want to achieve.

6. System Usability Scale (SUS): Offer a questionnaire with 10-questions with options from “Strongly Disagree” to “Strongly Agree” in order to evaluate the usability of a product or of a process.

7. Interviews: Make conversations with users to understand how they think about a site, a product, or a process. It is crucial to choose the right users and the right pre-determined questions!

8. Prototyping: Design a mock-up of the site, product, or service, the design team may test ideas before adopting them, and also it is a good way to collect feedback from users and to show the visualization of the product or service. 

9. Surveys: Ask a set of questions that you ask many visitors of users of your service to learn more about the individuals that use it. Asking accurate questions is the key! Your survey questions should include task-driven feedback questions, open-ended and follow-up questions. Try to avoid yes or no questions or leading questions. 

QUESTION SUGGESTIONS FOR AN UX RESEARCHER

As we mentioned before, if you find the right user to use some questions then it is really important to ask good ones! So we listed some of our picks for you.

Intro

• Tell us a little about yourself and your background.
• What does your typical day look like? 
• Tell us about your role in your company.
• How is this product relevant to your daily life?

Product-based

• What is your first impression of this product?
• When and where do you think someone would use this product?
• How could you improve this product?
• What’s the most and least appealing about this product?

Task-driven

• How would you go about performing a task?
• What do you expect before you perform this task? 
• What was the easiest and hardest thing to accomplish?
• Does any of your thoughts or expectations change while or after performing the task? 

Long story short, any UX researcher should take into account that these methods and questions can differ from one product or user to another. It is important to choose the right one to start or to improve your user experience (UX) journey and then you will realize that you customize some methods and questions by taking some steps on your journey!

Eight Things to Consider When Selecting Scheduling Software for Your Operation

It’s no secret that managing employees’ schedules can be a time-intensive process. Creating a work schedule that accommodates the needs of your employees while meeting the demands of your operation takes forethought and organization. Further coordination is required to ensure the schedule gets updated when necessary and that everyone has the most current information. 

Before the initial schedule is built, several factors should be considered:

• Staffing levels and manpower requirements – Understanding your operation and knowing how many employees are needed to meet the demands of your business without incurring unnecessary overtime is critical to building an effective schedule. 
• Employee availability and preferences – Accommodating your team’s requests and creating schedules that promote work-life balance not only helps ensure everyone shows up for their scheduled shifts – it also increases employee morale, which, in turn, improves your bottom line. 
• Compliance – Following local and federal staffing laws and regulations reduces legal exposure and helps you avoid penalties and expensive fines. 

Beyond creating the initial work schedule, managers spend additional time on other schedule-related tasks, such as managing schedule requests, making and communicating schedule changes, and ensuring every shift remains covered with the right number of people. Add in call-offs and filling open shifts, and it’s easy to see why managers can struggle to keep up with other key responsibilities in addition to maintaining staff schedules. 

To simplify the scheduling process, and give managers time to focus on day-to-day operations, many administrators are turning to online employee scheduling software. These systems are designed to automate the staff scheduling process, and many include tools that help improve communication and manage labor costs. But with so many software options available, how do you know which program is right for your organization?

Here are eight things to consider when you are evaluating which solution best meets your organization’s specific scheduling requirements. 

1. Is it easy to use? Many organizations are still using pen and paper or spreadsheets to schedule employees. Often, they are doing so simply because that’s how it’s been done for years, and managers believe it’s the fastest way to get the job done. If you are ready to transition to an online system, keep in mind that managers and employees are more likely to be on board with a system that makes life easier from the get-go. Look for scheduling software that is intuitive and easy to navigate. Additionally, complex software or systems that require customer support for basic functions result in frustration for your team, which can lead to low morale and decreased productivity. A software development company that offers training and ongoing support helps make the transition to an online solution even easier. 

1. Is it flexible? Every organization’s schedule is unique, so template-based software won’t work well for most teams. Customizable solutions that allow managers to create schedules by position, shift, or skill work well for businesses of any size. For larger businesses or those with multiple departments or locations, software that can be shared across the organization is ideal. This helps managers with shared employees know when and where everyone is scheduled to work and track total hours scheduled to help reduce overtime. 

1. Are real-time schedules accessible? With an online software system, schedules can be developed, managed, and viewed remotely by anyone with permission from any computer or mobile device. The software should also make it easy for administrators to post schedule changes so employees always have up-to-the-minute, accurate schedule information. For added insurance that everyone is viewing the most current schedule information, some software even alerts employees when a change has been made to their schedule.  

1. How’s the app? Software that includes a mobile app gives managers and employees instant access to work schedules anytime, anywhere. An app that allows employees and managers to submit and respond to schedule requests eliminates the risk of lost or overlooked requests and provides a level of autonomy for employees. The ability to make last-minute changes and find available employees for no-shows via the mobile app eases scheduling hassles and saves managers additional time. 

1. Does it do the math? Staff scheduling software should take manually performing staffing calculations off managers and supervisors, giving them more time to focus on core responsibilities. This ensures every shift is covered by qualified employees – reducing the risk of non-compliance. Consider whether the software you choose can be customized to make the required calculations based on your unique criteria. 

1. Does it have you covered? When an employee calls in sick, or if there is a sudden need for extra manpower, managers are required to fill open shifts fast. Software that includes an integrated messaging system that allows managers to instantly contact all employees, individuals, or a select group of employees ensures shifts are covered with properly qualified personnel. Software that allows managers to message one another about shared employees further safeguards against scheduling conflicts and unnecessary overtime.

1. Does it have the necessities? When you are comparing online scheduling options, think about which features are “must-haves” for your organization. Do you run and print reports? Do you manage rotating schedules or repeated schedule patterns? Do you track employee’s skills and credentials? Do you allow self-scheduling? Make a checklist of the features essential to your needs and make sure the system you select includes them.

1. Is it budget-friendly? Cost-effective systems are important for every organization, so price should always factor into your purchasing decisions. When researching scheduling software, consider the initial investment, as well as monthly and annual costs. Some software companies offer flexible pricing, which can be adjusted to meet the specific personnel requirements of each operation. This ensures you’re paying only for the services you need. 

Finding the staff scheduling software that best meets the requirements of your organization requires some research upfront that will pay dividends in the end. Start by asking yourself the questions outlined above and determine which features are most important for you and your team. The right scheduling solution will simplify the scheduling process, improve communication, and can cut time spent on scheduling by up to 75% — that’s a sound investment for any operation.  

Every day design fans submit incredible industry stories to our sister-site, Webdesigner News. Our colleagues sift through it, selecting the very best stories from the design, UX, tech, and development worlds and posting them live on the site.

The best way to keep up with the most important stories for web professionals is to subscribe to Webdesigner News or check out the site regularly. However, in case you missed a day this week, here’s a handy compilation of the top curated stories from the last seven days. Enjoy!

Next.js and Drupal Go Together Like PB & Jelly

Couleur.io – Harmonizing Color Palettes for Your Web Projects

11 Open-Source Static Site Generators You Can Use to Build Your Website

Buttons Generator – 100+ Buttons You Can Use In Your Project

3 Essential Design Trends, September 2021

12 CSS Box Shadow Examples

The Fixed Background Attachment Hack

The Internet ‘Died’ Five Years Ago

Media Queries in Responsive Design: A Complete Guide (2021)

The 7 Core Design Principles

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The post Popular Design News of the Week: August 30 2021 – September 5, 2021 first appeared on Webdesigner Depot.

I’d say cloud functions are one of the most transformative technologies in the last bunch of years. They are (usually) cheap, scale well, secure in their inherit isolation, and often written in JavaScript—comfortable territory for front-end developers. Nearly every cloud provider offers them, but AWS Lambda was the OG and remains the leader.

But also: The DX around cloud functions is just as interesting to watch as the tech behind the functions themselves. There is all sorts of tech that has sprung up around them to make them easy to use and relatively transparent. Emrah Samdan wrote that it’s a win-win for both customers and companies.

Two of the most popular Jamstack hosting platforms, Netlify and Vercel, offer idiot-proof wrappers for AWS Lambda deployments, each more developer-friendly than the next.

Joey Anuff, “AWS Lambdas: Easy, Easier, Easiest”

AWS’ own Amplify is a front-runner for easiness as well, which is in stark contrast to trying to manage your functions right through the AWS console itself.

Joey found Vercel to be easiest by a narrow margin, with the caveat that he was already using Next.js which is from Vercel.

My favorite bit here is that in the research repo for this article, Joey listed in great detail (with action GIFs) the steps for each of the services cloud functions offerings.

Direct Link to Article — Permalink

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According to a recent Hubspot survey, more than 85% of marketers believe video content is essential for any marketing strategy. This percentage is more than 20% higher than in 2016.

Understanding why this is the case is not hard. Modern digital marketing is all about engaging with your audience and sharing personal stories. And there’s simply no better way to do that than video content.

Videos are engaging for people of all ages and less boring than other types of content. However, it’s not easy to create or optimize video content. That’s why we have created a list of the top 10 video content tips and tricks you should follow.

Top 10 Tips and Tricks to Succeed in Video Content Marketing 

Whether you are an influencer, blogger, or business owner, video content is important for promoting your services or products. The following tips will help you improve your video content strategies.

Plus, you can apply these tactics across all websites and platforms: from your website or YouTube channel to social media platforms like Instagram or Twitter.

1. Utilize Video SEO

Contrary to what many believe, SEO does not only apply to written content. In fact, video SEO is just as important for drawing organic traffic to your website or social network account.

You can achieve this in several ways. When you upload a new video, you need to consider things like keywords, tags, file names, and descriptions. However, this is only part of what you can do to optimize your videos for SEO purposes.

There are plenty of video SEO guides for beginners that can help you improve your online presence through your video content. 

2. Identify Your Goals and the Scope of Your Videos

As with written and visual content in general, it is critical to identify your business goals for video content. This is one of the first things you should think about when launching a new video content campaign.

Think about what you want to achieve. For example, do you need to generate new customer leads or expand your audience? Considering the reach of your videos can help you stand out from your competitors.

When it comes to video content, planning is key. For this reason, setting the goals of your strategy should be a priority.

3. Schedule Your Video Content

While it’s important to set goals, no video content strategy will work without consistency. Planning your video content is the best way to be consistent when creating, uploading, and promoting.

There are many online apps and tools that can help you organize your video content strategy. For example, scheduling tools like Buffer or MeetEdgar can help you keep everything organized and save time uploading your videos.

In addition to these social media scheduling tools, you can also use apps like Trello to help you organize your content creation in general.

4. Use Premade Material like Instagram Templates

If you are a professional video creator or video editor, you’ll have no problem creating top-notch video content. But what happens if you have no experience with video content at all?

Luckily, there are plenty of tools out there to make your life easier. For example, if you want to create video stories for Instagram, you can use captivating pre-made Instagram templates.

Editing such templates using software like Photoshop can save you both time and money. However, if you do not have Photoshop experience, you can also create videos using simple online editors like Canva. 

5. Make Your Videos Engaging and Emotional

There are a few tips we would like to share when it comes to the content of videos. An important thing to keep in mind is that your videos should always be engaging. If you don’t try to engage with your audience through your videos, there is a big chance of failure. 

Therefore, whether you own a personal blog or an enormous corporate website, your video content should connect you emotionally with your audience. Adding a personal feel to your videos is a fantastic approach to consider. 

By doing so, your customers/readers will feel the need to engage by sharing their stories with you.  

6. Create Educational and Relevant Video Content

There are a few tips we’d like to share with you when it comes to video content. One important thing to keep in mind is that your videos should always be engaging. If you are not trying to engage your audience through your videos, there is a high chance of failure.

Whether you have a personal blog or a huge corporate website, your video content should connect emotionally with your audience. Adding a personal touch to your videos is an excellent approach to consider.

This way, your customers/readers will feel the need to engage by sharing their stories with you.

7. Implement CTAs

Calls to action are one of the most effective marketing strategies for written content. Although most websites only include CTAs on the homepage, it’s a brilliant thing to also use them in blog posts, videos, and visual content in general.

You should let your customers know how they can interact with your brand. For example, let them know about your website or how they can follow you on social media for more information.

CTAs are the best way to keep your customers and ultimately increase your conversion rates.

8. Focus on Storytelling

Videos that focus on sales often bore viewers. For this reason, you should add some value to your video content. Creating videos that act like stories is a great thing to do.

When you tell a personal story, your customers can better understand your brand and how it can help them. Remember, storytelling makes your content more engaging and interesting.

9. Promote your Content

Say you have developed a great video content strategy and have already created some top-notch videos. What should be your next step? Well, maximizing your target audience is a smart approach.

You can achieve this by promoting your videos on platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, etc. Another smart move is to incorporate your video content into other content like blog posts, your website, etc.

10. Occasionally Evaluate your Video Content Strategy

Since you have already established your goals and the scope of your videos, you know exactly what you want to achieve with your video content strategy. Therefore, it’s important to evaluate how your plan is working. If you are happy with the analytics of your videos, that’s great.

If not, you can always consider what’s going wrong. For example, maybe you need to promote your videos better or include more CTAs.

Wrap Up

In this article, we analyzed how important video content has become for marketing. For this reason, implementing videos into your marketing strategies is a great thing to do.

If you follow the tips and tricks above, you will increase your video content strategy’s chances of success.

 

Featured image via Unsplash.

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